Losing weight in spite of myself.

I began this blog in February 2011 as a way to help me not quit trying to lose weight, and to learn a few things. It's been an interesting and powerful experience. It certainly confirms what I've long suspected--that although I am a genuinely happy cheery person in the main, I am NOT a happy cheery dieter. I DETEST losing weight. I resent being overweight in the first place and I am a virtuoso in the art of self-sabotage. And YET--I'm doing it! I'm fighting and kicking and EATING all the way down, but the weight is finally going down. The plan I was following in February was a half-baked one largely based on wishful thinking. I gained a little weight and decided to get real. I knew I couldn't just join weightwatchers or count calories or do any one plan and expect to be successful. I decided if I was going to bother to make the effort to lose weight I was going to throw everything I could think of at the problem. And so I do. My real "Day One" for this blog is April 1, 2011. I joined weight watchers, I joined caloriecount.com (awesome website), I read the blog losingweighteveryday.blogspot.com religiously, I keep this blog faithfully, I joined the health programs sponsored by my insurance, I use the principles from overeater's anonymous, I use my church's 12 step program as well, I subscribe--and use--Healthy Cooking Magazine.



The result of all this? Painfully slow progress (About 20 lbs in 10 months). But it IS progress and like the little engine that could I keep on trying in my rebellious way. I have no intention of quitting. This is by far the longest sustained weight loss effort I've ever made in my life. Successful I think, because for the first in my life I've done this MY way--which I've discovered, involves a lot of pizza and restaraunt food. I'm convinced this is the only way to lose weight. For me it must be MY way. For you it MUST be YOUR way. Not weight watcher's way, not your doctor's way, but YOUR way. Any plan or idea I use is only a tool.

The latest plan to lose weight my way began on Oct 29, 2013. It really is my own crazy plan. As you'll see if you read that post. I've implemented the best ideas of all sorts of eating plans and thrown out the scale. A couple of months in and I'm definitely healthier. I'm actually enjoying myself. I won't weigh until April 1, 2014, so I'll see then if this works the way I hope it will.

There is no magic weight loss bullet. But there IS a great deal of magic in the discovery of what I can happily live with (very different from what weight watchers tells me I can happily live with) and still have the body and health I want.

Good luck to all of us on this journey. It's quite a trip!







Monday, November 17, 2014

Metabolism

I ran a metabolic formula on the internet supposing that I weighed 155. The base calorie need for that is about 1400 PLUS any kind of physical activity bumps it up several hundred calories. 1800 cal should be about my magic happy place. And the really happy thing is that 1800 cal is doable. Sort of. when I'm not constantly derailed by exceptions which I always am. But it's nice to know that what I'm shooting for is not a life sentence of water and celery sticks. Or even "delicious" meals consisting of 4 pieces of shrimp (ala a weight watchers commercial). I need to do MUCH better, but at least the goal isn't completely impossible.

1. That I got Mom's SS number
2. That Lisa isn't mad at me about finding the SS number
3. That tomorrow is payday
4. That I might get out of class early tonight
5. That I got a head's up about the FBLA competition
6. That escape the room is in Salt Lake!
7. That I don't suffer from horrible food allergies
8. Carol Burnett
9. Dorothea Dix
10. That it'll be warm enough to walk to work next week
11. That medical care is so easily available
12. For a terrific primary presidency
13. For CS Lewis and all of his work
14. Pretty drives to Logan with the cheese factory at the end
15. The waterfall canyon trail
16. Rainbow gardens--great random shopping
17. That Mom's grave is close
18. That I know I'll see her again
19. That the city is taking our house--so we get to move w/o worrying (much) about selling
20. For meaningful work

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